Burnett Called 'Biggest Tease In The Game'

After Wednesday night's poor effort by A.J. Burnett, New York Daily News columnist John Harper summed up Burnett this way.

Five weeks into the season, when A.J. Burnett was 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA, it seemed this might be the year the Yankee righthander finally parlayed his electric talent into spectacular results.

But really, we should know better by now than to think it's ever going to happen. At 33, Burnett is what he is - the biggest tease in the game.

So you continue to get nights like this one, when Burnett managed to wake up the slumping Phillies, surrendering six runs in three innings in what turned out to be a 6-3loss to the NL champs.

As a result, Burnett is 2-5 in his last eight starts, and in four of those he has given up at least six runs.

Burnett is, and has always been more thrower than pitcher. He doesn't walk hitters like he did as a young pitcher, but in truth he still really has no idea where the ball is going when he lets it go. So, from game-to-game we just have to live with the fact that we won't have any idea what to expect.

• Kim Jones has a fun, interesting interview with the great Mariano Rivera.
• The Yankees have signed a dozen draft picks. Top pick Cito Culver can't sign until Sunday, when he graduates from high school.